Hey, Siri, Not Working? Here’s How To Fix It
Can you think of anything more exciting than the invention of an assistant built into your smart devices? Now more than ever, our lives have been streamlined and organized by artificial intelligence in some way or another.
Remember the days when you either had to look at a map or print out directions to your vacation destination? But in today’s world, you can speak notes into existence, make a phone call hands-free, ask for directions, and so much more while never even touching your phone.
Let’s discover what artificial intelligence is, the scope of what Siri can do, and how to troubleshoot if Siri stops working efficiently.
What Is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence allows a device or computer to complete a task that would normally be reserved for humans. The creation of artificial intelligence has helped with things like stock portfolio optimization, helped the automotive industry with self-driving cars, and helped Siri to recognize speech.
How Can Siri Help You?
Growing up hearing the screech of your dial-up internet connecting to America Online, you probably couldn’t imagine a world where you would be texting, seeing your friends and loved ones over video chat, or have an assistant named Siri.
For a lot of people, digital assistants like Siri can still feel challenging to get used to. Once you do, you won’t be able to imagine a world without the conveniences offered. Every day it seems that we come across a task Siri can help with.
Here are a few of our favorites that you may not know about:
Set Your Alarm
If you think about it long enough, you can probably remember how annoying your alarm clock sounded in high school. With innovation like Siri, you can program your alarm to wake up to any soothing sound you can think of.
You can also set a complete schedule as to when your alarm will go off throughout your week. If you don’t already have your smart device setup on a ceiling mount, you are missing out. You can have your device mounted from any ceiling, and when your alarm goes off, simply say, “Hey Siri, turn my alarm off,” and you are good to go.
No more fumbling around on your nightstand searching for your phone or tablet in the dark. Forget about having to slam around an alarm clock until you find the right button to force the jarring sound off.
Your alarm can finally be the soothing, gentle reminder you need it to be to start your day.
Video Chat
Seeing your friends or family on video is just a voice command away. Another reason we love having a mount for our devices is that you can be hands-free and use Siri to accomplish what you need.
Let’s say you are in the kitchen cooking and need to phone a friend for the next step in a recipe. With a mount for your device, you can remain hands-free and say “Hey Siri, FaceTime Lucy” and consider the job done.
You can either make a regular call or video call, all while having your hands free to multitask.
Most Underused Siri Features
It’s easy to forget just how many things Siri can accomplish. Guilty as charged for using the same features over and over. There are some serious best-kept secrets that we almost never think about using Siri for. It is important that we share these with you because they are for sure game-changers.
- Conversions. How many times are you baking up a storm and can’t find the right measuring cup? If you’re anything like us, we haven’t made a conversion since high school. To save time looking for it, all you have to do is ask Siri.
- Calculations. Ask Siri to calculate something. You no longer even have to bother accessing your calculator. Just ask Siri what the calculation is that you need.
- Discover a date. If you ever need to know what day of the week a holiday falls on, or what the date is two weeks from now, you have but to ask.
- Ask for more. Did you know you can even ask Siri what other magic they are capable of? If you don’t know the entire scope of Siri’s talents, all you have to do is ask!
- Song sleuth. One feature that will never get old is asking who an artist is or the title of a song. Talk about maximizing your ability to create a playlist; this feature makes our middle school heart skip a beat.
How To Troubleshoot if Siri Isn’t Working
What happens when your favorite assistant stops functioning? Experiencing a glitch in your routine can be super frustrating. Never fear; there is help! If “Hey Siri” isn’t working, here are some ways to fix it.
Wifi Is a Must for Siri
You may not know this, but in order for Siri to function, you have to be connected to Wi-Fi. Checking if your Wi-Fi is connected is a great first step. If you go to the Settings application, you can easily see if your Wi-Fi is turned on. There is a toggle switch that you can slide on or off.
If you notice that you are not connected, simply slide the toggle button to the on position.
Software Updates and Restart
If you haven’t updated your software recently, this is another reason why Siri may not be responding properly. If you aren’t using the most up-to-date version of your operating system, you may not have all the latest updates required for your applications to function the way they should.
Restarting your phone is another way to reset, power down, and see if Siri may be back in working order once your phone has the chance to restart.
Setup
Another great place to check is your settings to see which options are enabled for Siri.
Here is how you would do it:
- Go to your Settings app.
- Find “Siri and Search.”
- Then you will check the following:
- Make sure the Listen for “Hey Siri” button is in the on position.
- Make sure the Allow Siri When Locked button is in the on position.
You can also go to Settings, then Accessibility, and make sure you select the Always Listen for “Hey Siri” button.
Siri may also not be recognizing your voice clearly.
Here is how to attempt to resolve that:
- Find your Settings app.
- Go to Siri & Search.
- Find Listen for Hey Siri and turn it to the off position and then to the on position again.
- When the option presents to Set Up Hey Siri, choose Continue.
- Say the command as it appears on your screen. This allows Siri to recognize your voice again.
- Select done once you are complete.
Siriously Helpful
Oh, how we love Siri. Siri can help you feel organized in the best ways possible. You can eliminate having a planner, handwriting yourself notes all over the place, or ever forgetting an important event again.
Before Siri, we were ladened with scrap pieces of paper, reminder cards, and all sorts of things that inevitably got lost. There is a lot to love about the conveniences Siri offers. It can feel scary to have Siri out of commission for even a short amount of time.
With these simple resources, you should now have some tools to get your handy assistant back quicker than you can say, “Hey Siri.”
Sources:
If "Hey Siri" Isn’t Working | Apple Support
